- Will you consider this?

Anyone in Central Illinois pretty much knows that Morton, Illinois is the pumpkin capital of the world, although there are other cities and towns making that claim, but we have our allegiance.

Anyway, ever wonder how long the Village of Morton has been around?

Our next guest shares a brief history of the village and gives us a heads up on growth and changes.

(bright music) If you've been around for a while you know the Morton High School teams are the Potters, but do you know why?

And how is that pumpkin pies put Morton on the map, as over 80% of all canned pumpkin is processed right here.

Leigh Ann Brown from the Morton Chamber of Commerce brings us up to speed on that.

Hello there, good morning.

- Good morning to you.

- Or good evening or whenever this is gonna air.

- Yeah.

- But look at, you're proudly wearing your Morton shirt, and it looks appropriate.

(Leigh Ann laughing) - [Leigh Ann] Thank you.

- All right, so let's start with Morton's been on the map since like the 1800 census.

- Yes, yeah, a lot of German descents.

Certainly Morton Pottery is much of Morton's history.

Several pottery operations throughout Morton's history, and the Morton Public Library still sits on the original Morton Pottery facility.

And a lot of Morton pottery can be viewed and explored still inside the Morton Library.

- And it's a collectible now, as I understand.

And are there certain pieces that are still being manufactured, made, for people who want that piece of Morton?

- There is not.

We know several families still own some of the molds, so maybe in the future somebody could start producing some pieces again.

But no active artists or pottery being made currently.

- Well, Morton, and I live in Peoria, and when I first moved here, it's, oh, Morton, very exclusive, very tight-knit community.

But it's not that exclusive or snooty or anything like that.

I mean, you welcome everybody coming in.

You have a lot of different restaurants and Main Street shopping.

Well not Main Street, but you know.

- Yes.

- On a main strip.

How's that?

- Yeah, it's actually Main Street downtown.

Yeah, Morton has a diverse mix of industries, and so our daytime population really ramps up.

So a lotta people get to come and have that quality of life, workplace opportunities in our community and get exposed to the type of community are.

But yes, there's a lot of people that have been living there for three, four plus generations.

Just a lotta community pride.

There's a lot of connected community, is what I say often.

Just such loyal support.

A lot of church families, a lot of community projects.

Our Morton Community Foundation continues to grow, and we certainly see it with the Morton Pumpkin Festival, just the people that just show up year after year to do their tirelessly roles that they engage and help us really pull off a successful festival.

- And most of them are Mortonites or Potterites?

- Yes, Mortonites, yes.

(Christine laughing) - Mortonites, okay.

- Yeah.

- All right, let's, before we get to the Pumpkin Festival, 'cause there's a lot going on, so you have Caterpillar and you also have Morton Industries.

And what else?

Three, four big industries that are basically- - Yeah, so, a lot of manufacturing, fabrication, building trades, and logistics.

So yes, Caterpillar, their worldwide global headquarters is in Morton Housing and moving millions of parts across the globe.

Certainly Growmark is another.

They expanded this way with various operations in our community.

Morton Industries, Parker Fabrication, Morton Buildings, of course, long, long history in Morton.

Just a fascinating story of interlocking fencing company.

And now you can see a Morton Buildings anywhere you travel in the U.S., and then our recent project, Precision Planting.

- Yeah, tell me about that.

- Yeah, so Precision Planting headquarters in Tremont.

Their parent company is AGCO.

but they are on the final stretch of their 530,000 square foot facility in Morton that will be their distribution center.

So again, logistics because of our interstate corridor and the rapid connectivity to Chicago, Springfield, St. Louis, Indianapolis, over in Iowa, is just a great fit for so many logistics companies.

And so Precision Planting, they had a presence in Morton and outgrew their facility, and they are probably on the horizon of maybe expanding much sooner than later, yet again, with their growth potentials.

- And where will that be situated?

- It is right off the interstate.

So, if you exit 155 there, and you're on Birchwood, Route 98, there is Erie, you turn on Erie, and the north side there is the building.

You can't miss it from the interstate.

Beautiful construction project.

Just the technology inside is gonna be incredible.

Mirrors what Caterpillar uses for their product picking system and Amazon.

Of course, you know, Logistics G&D.

- Is there also?

- Great company, truck centers, I mean, just so many trucking and logistics companies, specialized manufacturing.

And of course, the healthcare industry is growing with OSF, Carle Health, and now Springfield Clinic really ramping up operations in our community.

- And you have a lotta pride.

- Yes.

- A lotta pride.

Well, a lotta people think, oh, Morton, it's so far away.

Really from downtown Peoria, it's what, 10 miles?

- Yeah, easy.

- I'm not exactly sure how people figure that out, but they do, that's for sure.

Okay, let's talk about the Morton Pumpkin Festival.

This year will be its 57th.

- Yes, 57 years.

- All right, so it started, we think, 1966 or '67.

- Seven, yeah.

- It depends on if you count that first one as number one or if you wait to the first.

So the theme this year is?

- Farm and Pumpkins.

- And who came up with a theme and how do you do that?

How do you decide on that?

- Yeah, so, after prior year festival we send out a survey and we try and get some genre ideas of interest for themes for the next year.

And then we have a Pumpkin Festival Advisory Committee and then our Chamber Board of Directors take all that input and start to really just strategize of what would make sense, what kind of products, services, entertainment, pumpkin, parade floats, all those elements that we host during festival, which theme kind of makes makes the most sense and that people can rally behind.

And the core mission of our Pumpkin Festival is to gather and give back.

And so we always wanna make sure that that can be elevated throughout the theme.

And this one we're certainly excited about Farm and Pumpkins because it celebrates the history of Morton.

It celebrates the history of so many founding members' families of our community, and the surrounding area, how critical the ag industry is to Morton and and well beyond the globe.

But certainly be able to highlight and celebrate all of the ag tech, the innovation that's happening in the agriculture space, and then certainly celebrating Libby's, the Nestlé- - Which was- That was from the early 20s, was that?

- So they originally were in Eureka as a canning.

And then when they moved over to Morton they were canning vegetables, mostly carrots and peas, potentially green beans, a variety.

And then they started to move into the pumpkin production, which took off, and now it is solely a pumpkin-producing plant, still producing 85% of the world's canned pumpkin.

- That's incredible.

- Yeah.

- That's a lot of pumpkin.

- A lot of pumpkin.

So it's just, families will come over and just simply watch the trucks comin' into town and- - With the big loads of pumpkins.

- Yes, being lifted up into the plant, watchin' the pumpkins enter the plant to begin their process journey into being the canned pumpkin.

Just incredible story.

It's a proprietary seed, single ingredient.

And then any leftover product, they're fully operating as a green company.

Leftover seeds are a product for squirrel feed.

Chuckanut is produced of the leftover seeds.

- Chuckanut.

- Chuckanut.

- Yeah, I was wondering that.

I didn't know if they were used for edible pumpkin seeds or if they were used for planting, then.

It's just kind of a full circle.

- Yes, yeah.

So, we're certainly excited with festival to build, to elevate, and share their story.

We have just incredible partnership with Nestlé Corporate out east, and we'll be cross-branding, a lot of our product is, of course, pumpkin at festival.

We have some of your kind of festival fanfare, mainstays, but a lot of our product is pumpkin products.

- Right, so there's pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin ice cream.

What's the weirdest pumpkin combination that, in your lifetime, that you've experienced?

- Oh, in my lifetime?

I heard one the other day of pumpkin brats.

- [Christine] Hmm.

I don't know how it could (indistinct)- - I've not tried that one, but one that kinda catches people off guard with our festival is our pumpkin chili.

- Okay.

- And most people really enjoy it and are excited to try that one on the pumpkin chili.

But we're excited to cross-brand that all that product is, of course, made with the Libby's Nestlé pumpkin, and we'll be labeling it this year, really celebrating that is truly locally made right here just down the street and come get your taste of Libby's at the Morton Pumpkin Festival.

- So do you bring field trips there when the pumpkins are being loaded?

Or is that... Or not you don't do it, but Nestlé Libby would do that.

To let the kids really experience what's going on.

- Yeah, they could be outside viewing.

Of course, a lot of things changed many, many years ago.

911 being one of 'em.

And so inside plant tours aren't available.

Years ago, and I've talked to adults today, that were on those tours- - That remember that.

- And that was a major, major highlight of their grade school age years of being in the plant.

- And what fun?

And so it was just one of those happenstance, one of those serendipity things that pumpkins were grown, and then they were taken to that plant and boom, boom, boom, one thing after another after another, and we have the pumpkin capital of the world.

- Yes, yeah.

Just truly rich, right soil for pumpkins here in our immediate area.

And then the next kinda crop of pumpkins is towards Southern Illinois.

So all the pumpkins are harvested here in Illinois and trucked in.

And just prior to the Pumpkin Festival, there was a kind of a harvest festival that really, as things aligned there, it quickly became the Morton pumpkin, mm-hm.

- Pumpkin, yeah.

- Does Libby's, Nestlé, do they put any of the recipes on their cans that have been developed for the Pumpkin Festival?

Or do you know if that's happened at any time or yet?

- Yeah, so we do a recipe challenge, and of course, all recipes have to be produced with a portion of Libby's pumpkin.

Of course, a lotta people, on all their cans, is the pumpkin pie recipe.

And so we also partner with a local company, the cookery that produces, bakes all of our pumpkin pies for festival.

So, using their recipes.

And then the corporate chef with Libby's is a part of celebrating and bringing awareness to our recipe challenge event.

So certainly, we have had our own recipes.

We make our own ice cream as the Morton Chamber of Commerce.

We have our own ice cream machine.

- And it's a nice color.

- Yeah, it- - It doesn't look pumpkiny, so it wouldn't turn anybody off if it's too pumpkin looking, and they're not pumpkin pie fans.

- Uh-huh, so- - Speaking of pumpkin pies, then, how many pumpkin pies are made each year for the pumpkin festival?

- Typically about 1500 pies.

- Gee.

- And then we have another partnership, a local company for pumpkin donuts.

We order roughly 46,000 pumpkin donuts.

- (laughing) Okay, so, and they're served the entire festival.

- Yeah.

- And it's always the second weekend of September.

So always the weekend after Labor Day, is that right?

- So it'll be the 13th through the 16th of this year.

So opening ceremony will be on Wednesday the 13th, and it runs till close of evening on that Saturday.

- All right, now what's new for this year's festival?

'Cause you try to mix things up a little bit all the time.

- Yeah, of course, the theme each year really sets different, just atmosphere.

Certainly the parade is different every year because of the theme.

Different products that we can sell.

So this year we're partnering with Top Fox, another regional company that produces pumpkin seed product, a lot of different flavors, so.

- Had no idea.

Different flavored pumpkin seeds?

- Uh-huh.

- Oh, that's interesting.

- So pumpkin spice, caramel apple, salt and pepper, barbecue, a whole- - Probably habanero or something, too.

(Christine laughing) - And there's always a hot item.

- Right, exactly.

- So we're excited to showcase them and sell the the pumpkin seed product on grounds.

And then last year, and we're really ramping up, we did a family fun patch area of just really a local spotlight where we can elevate all the great organizations and businesses throughout Morton and beyond.

We have some booth space up there, the pumpkin decorating tent over there, and then Libby's, they set up their Libby's Nestlé booth over there.

So just a great fun family.

A lot of no cost activities for families and kids to enjoy.

- Well, speaking of cost, then, it takes a lot to get this thing going in the first place.

Then what do you do with profits?

You have a give back program, correct?

- Yeah, yeah.

- And tell me about that.

- So each year, as I mentioned, festival mission is to gather and give back.

And so each year we adopt a community give back project and allocate up to $25,000 to that project.

Or sometimes it's been multiple projects, depending on proceeds of the festival.

Last year we purchased a weld simulator for Morton High School, and the junior high uses it as well.

- And that's so that they get experience with welding in a very safe- - Yes.

- Not framing- - They can't damage anything.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, exactly.

They can't hurt themselves or anything else, all right.

- Years past, we've done pavilions at the park, we've done projects with the library, we've done our planters that are in our downtown district.

We did the welcome to Morton signs.

So just a lot of various community projects that are out there, very visible, open to the public.

- And mostly nonprofit and youth or?

- Well then separately from that project we started several years ago another endowment fund to build this mission.

And we offer a financial give back to youth groups and nonprofits that come on site and help us host festival, mostly Friday, Saturday shifts.

But then throughout we have a partnership with our drive-thru, a partnership with our pancake breakfast for direct give backs to various organizations.

But last year, from those funds, about $45,000 was issued back to those groups for helping us host festival and carry out our festival mission.

- And how many volunteers are needed for that three-day weekend?

- Yeah, we easily onboard 1500 volunteers.

- That's crazy.

- Yeah, we still welcome about 75,000 people to the Morton Pumpkin Festival.

- Each year.

- Each year.

- And you pray for rain...

I mean, no, pray for no rain.

- No rain.

(Leigh Ann laughing) - Duh, yeah, yeah.

Well right now we need rain.

- Yes.

- So we want good weather.

Not too hot, not too steamy.

- That's right.

Nice fall days.

- Right.

All right, well, so that's fun.

And then you had a new program, a new one this year, Pumpkins Got Talent.

- Yes.

- Tell me about that.

- Yeah, so we added that.

Of course, there's a lot of fun TV shows still out there, and what better way to celebrate all the amazing talent that, our God-given abilities that we can allow people to get on stage, and showcase and have some fun.

So we're excited about opening that up.

We did kind of a lip sync version of it last year, and just said, let's open it up and see what other talent can be showcased.

So yeah, registration's open, there's different age groups, and it will be a fun way to close out our festival of seeing- - Oh, it's at the end.

- Yes, so- - Okay, all right.

- Local Morton and well beyond, we welcome anybody to sign up for that and come out and- - So singing, dancing.

- Magician, magic tricks.

Yeah, unique musical talent.

Yeah.

- Well, that's fun.

What else is happening in Morton?

I know that there is some expansion going for Walmart.

What's happening there?

Yeah, kind of a cool story of Walmart's been a great local partner.

They do a lot with us for festival, do a lot of give back to our community and our Morton storage being remodeled for their future store concept.

So, that's well underway.

They did a pretty massive extension addition to their building to house their online orders and then revamping the entire inside of the store to be more of a department store.

So more of a shopping experience, really just updating floors, lighting, and all of the aesthetics.

But that's been an exciting project to see and just great to have the local store manager and great team members there, really giving back to our Morton community.

- So one of the first in the country?

And how was Morton chosen then?

Just because of the demographics or what?

- Yeah, I don't know all the details of corporate decisions on that, but in talking to the store manager, the Morton store performs well.

It's been a while since there's been any updates to that store location.

Certainly, like I said, the daytime population that comes to Morton, I think those just all played into the Morton location being a good fit for their future store.

- Did you grow up in Morton?

- I didn't grow up in Morton.

I grew up in Groveland area.

Went to Pekin schools and moved over to Morton about eight years ago.

- And right away you got involved with the Chamber?

And look at you takin' off now.

- Yeah, came over for the role specifically, and it's been a great endeavor, just a great community, and get to really take advantage of activating the mission of the Morton Chamber of Commerce and the Morton Economic Development Council, building strong sustainable businesses in a community.

- All right, so back to Main Street, too.

You have added...

There's really a lot of boutiques.

- Mm-hm.

- And that makes it kind of fun.

It makes it a nice day trip for the gals.

- Yes.

- The guys could probably- - Absolutely.

- Figure out somethin', too, if they have a special location comin' up, but what has attracted them to Morton?

- Yeah, certainly that, again, that connected community.

Our small businesses really work well together.

And then as the Morton Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council we're able to be another convener to bring them together.

We started a small business round table, just a way to bring those small business owners together, meet each other, cross promote each other, and that's really taken off.

We do a fun shop local every year around Hometown Holidays.

And so that just really brings a spotlight to Morton and the shop local businesses.

We sell Chamber Checks.

This was something that we were just, again, connected, supported community through the pandemic.

We sold $25,000 additional Chamber Checks for shop local impact than we normally do on a regular year.

And so I think there's just great storefront space.

We're definitely a walkable- - Absolutely.

- Community, exactly.

- But certainly in that downtown area, where you could just park and walk.

There's- - Cover one side.

- Yeah.

- And then turn around, go up the other.

Well, stop and get somethin' to eat and then go the other side.

- Exactly, yes.

But yeah, if you want a sweet treat or a delicious cup of coffee and a variety of variations, certainly Morton is the place to visit.

And then, yes, a lot of other home decor and boutiques are on the rise.

- So what's your wish list for, let's say, the next five years for the Village of Morton?

And it's the village, not the city.

- That's right.

- It's a village.

- It is a village.

We have some really great opportunities, because of Precision Planting, of industrial property.

So I'm excited about current businesses that are needing expansion opportunities to seek that space to really grow their businesses or who else can we attract that would be a good fit for our community, offering great employment opportunities, and continue to see the downtown build out.

I think there's more aesthetics that we can do.

Maybe some little park-like areas.

So many people just love to get out and walk and experience.

So those outdoor areas and elements that we can add to, certainly, the downtown area, but throughout the village, would be something that I would really be proud of.

- And welcome.

- And welcome.

And we have a lot of endeavors around bikeability as well.

The village has put together kind of a master plan of hopefully attaining other areas for bike trail extensions.

That was the- - Which would lead to Groveland, which would lead to East Peoria, or- - Yeah.

That was the first thing I noticed sitting in my office looking out on Jefferson Street of the number of people and families and little kids out walking and biking constantly throughout our community.

And so I think just those opportunities to give people a space to come and have that sense of belonging.

- And we need that today.

Well, thanks for sharing.

- Yes, absolutely.

- I learned a lot about Morton.

And the festival has always been a lotta fun.

It's the only time I can wear my poncho that's orange.

(Leigh Ann laughing) Rest of it, I don't do well in orange.

But thanks for being here.

- Thank you.

- The best of luck this year.

And we'll check in with the give back program and the profits.

- Yes, sounds great.

Thank you for having me.

- Well, thanks.

And thank you for joining us.

Hope you learned a lot about Morton and the Pumpkin Festival.

Stay safe and healthy.

(bright music)